


The Safe Bet

by joufancyhuh



Series: To Know A Vael [10]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Between Act 2 and 3, F/M, Fluff, Practice fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 16:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15271488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joufancyhuh/pseuds/joufancyhuh
Summary: Prompt: "I never meant to hurt you."





	The Safe Bet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlyssAlenko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssAlenko/gifts).



> Thanks to AlyssAlenko for the prompt! I feel bad cause I keep giving away spoilers for these two with these fics. But hey, proof I'm working on the prompts! Also, I twisted this one, too! Ha!
> 
> Special thanks to my beta, [GuileandGall](http://archiveofourown.org/users/guileandgall)
> 
> I never really get bored writing these two. Sighhhh. I love them so much.

“Again,” Sebastian said.

Kalea dug her heel into the ground, staring at her opponent on the opposite side of the open field. The armor Sebastian forced her to wear weighed heavy on her limbs, slowing down her response time. She missed the loose shirt and pants that she usually fought in. Sweat dripped from her brow, leaving her sticky under the armor. Her muscles ached from use, and she knew she’d end up soaking in the tub before the sun set.

This round though, the last one to decide the overall winner, she felt confident enough to win. A cocky smile drew back her lips, a taunt on her tongue. “I’ll try to take it easy on you this time.”

He readied his arrow, aiming it toward her with a glint of determination in his eyes. “I don’t need your handicap.”

In slow movements, she began the spin of her staff in front of her, speeding up its whirl with each turn of the handle. “We’ll see about that. Score’s two-two.”

“For now.” He released his first arrow, then fired off his second one in the first’s shadow.

With her staff increasing speed, she knocked the first away without effort, then ducked to the ground and rolled away from the second. He didn’t relent, jumping back to fire three from his quiver. She spun, her staff swatting them out of the air with considerable effort. As he nocked the next round of arrows, she used the distraction to charge, wishing, not for the first time, that she could cast a haste spell upon herself.

Her charge brought her in front of him. His bow not yet reset, she used her staff to knock his next shot off balance. The arrow flew off into the trees, away from their playing field. He stooped low to raise his bow as a shield and block her overhead strike. “You’re taking it easy on me,” she growled when she noticed he hadn’t even broken a sweat this round.

“You really think you could handle me at my best?” He cocked an eyebrow while his hand shot forward to rip the staff from her grasp. With quick thinking, her foot hooked around his ankle and she thrust her weight forward to throw him off balance.

They fell, Sebastian letting go of both his bow and her staff to shield her from the hard ground. Her cackling paralleled his groan of pain. She rolled away from his embrace out onto the grass, sliding one of the blades from her belt and pressed it to his throat. “I think this makes it three to two? Which means the day is mine.”

“You knew I would protect you on the way down.” His blue eyes flared with the fire of his glare.

“A gamble. One that paid off.” She sheathed her blade, ignoring the sharpness in his gaze. A content sigh accompanied her roll onto her side to allow for proper gloating. She propped her head up, grinning down at him while he remained spread out where he collapsed. When he showed no sign of forgiveness, she threaded her fingers through his hair with her free hand, sticking out her lower lip with a feigned quiver. “Aw, come now, Bas. Are you going to stay mad forever?”

“You’re a blasted cheat.” He crossed his arms over his chest, a slight wince with the maneuver.

Concern for his well being overtook any desire to relish in her victory. The hand in his hair slid down to cup his cheek, turning his head to align their gazes. “In all seriousness, are you okay? That fall was harder than I intended.”

“I’ll be fine. No thanks to you.” He uncrossed his arms to knock her hand away, aggravation written in his furrowed brow with a refusal to look at her. Feigned aggravation to make her repentant, not that it ever worked well with her.

She bent over his face, laying a light kiss upon his cheek. “I didn’t mean to actually hurt you.”

“I know.” He punctuated his words with a heavy sigh, his eyes once more meeting hers. “I only wish you’d take this more seriously.”

She wriggled her way to lay on his chest, as awkward as their armor made it for them both. “Cute. You worrying about me? I’ll be fine.”

“And when you get into a situation where you can’t use your magic?” His gloved hand raised, knuckles stroking across her cheek. “I don’t want to see anything happen to you. It’s getting more dangerous for apostates. And as much as we like to pretend otherwise, you’re not infallible, Pidge.”

Her hand cupped his, the leather of his glove smooth against her cheek. She leaned into his palm, her lips kissing the heel of it. His words hit too close for comfort; for some time, templar behavior had been growing more erratic and unpredictable. She waited for the day they might come for her, whether on trumped up charges or with a fabrication. Her Champion status was a weak shield against them, and Knight-Commander Meredith knew it as well as Kalea did.

“Should we have that conversation? About what happens if I end up in the Circle?” The question hung heavy between them, though she wished nothing more than to stride on to something more conversational like the weather or fighting techniques. An apostate out in the open for as long as she’d been would be seen as a valuable fucking prize. The minute she walked into the Circle as a prisoner, they’d use her as an example and invoke the Rite of Tranquility before she even wiped her feet on the mat.

Anders’ friend, Karl, flashed through her mind, how he begged them to kill him. When faced with the Rite, would she request the same?

“Not yet.”

His gaze lingered on her face; she blinked. Then held her brown eyes closed so he wouldn’t see any traces of the fear that tightened her stomach. She thanked him in her silence for not wanting to travel down that track. The sickening lurch of her stomach at the mere inference, she didn’t know if she would ever be able to handle that conversation.

His thumb ran along her cheekbone. “But this is why tricks like what you just pulled wouldn’t work. Cause it won’t be me you’re fighting out there.”

She nodded, threading her fingers through his and moving his hand in front of her mouth, laying another kiss to it before holding it to her heart. “I didn’t use my magic though. And it’s not like you’re fighting fair either, holding back with me like that.” She stuck her tongue out a him, laughing at the frown that formed on his face.

Sebastian scoffed at her nerve. “Turning this back on me, are you, Pidge? Seeking to wound me twice?”

“Your guidelines never said I couldn’t use all means at my disposal.”

“You need Andraste.”

“Too bad all I’ve got is you, Bas.” She patted his chest before shifting to sit up. “Need help getting back on your feet?” Her hands dusted off the knees of her armor.

“I think I can manage.” He fought off another groan as he rolled onto his side to push himself off the ground, loud enough that she knew he sought her sympathies. His attempt to milk his injury fell short as she stood.

“Next time, don’t let me get close enough to take you down.” She winked as she offered him a hand.“Again?”

He swatted away her hand, too proud to let her help him up. She giggled, leaving him to his struggle while she gathered their weapons. When she turned back to him, he stood, arching his back with a hands on the base of his spine. “I think that might be enough for today.”

“Did I mention I was sorry?” She gave a small grin as she strolled back over to hand him his bow.

“Words are cheap, Pidge.”

After sliding her staff back into its sheath, she cupped his face with both hands, tilting it down. “Stop being fickle. You know I can’t apologize the way I want to.” Her eyes lit up with the same traces of mischief that curved her lips into a wide grin. “A little oil, a nice bed. My hands working at the muscles in your back.” Her teeth caught the corner of her bottom lip before she jumped back, avoiding his swat of her shoulder.

Cheeks heating, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “Unfair, and you know it.”

“Just putting it out there.” She stepped back towards him, careful of any movement in case he still wanted to retaliate for the mental image she put in his head. But he didn’t, instead peering at her through the gaps in his fingers. Her hand on his elbow, she guided one of his hands away from his face. “Will a kiss suffice? Or do you need to tackle me to the ground and make us even?” Heat pooled in her loins at the idea, though in her daydream, they wore sufficiently less clothing.

Like he could see the images in her mind, his face reddened as he turned away, hand at the back of his neck. “Aye, a kiss will do.”

That worked for her. She smiled, applying weight on his shoulder to force him to lean down. Her lips brushed his cheek in a quick peck before she clapped on him the back, forgetting his injury already. A low growl arose in his throat, wincing from the contact.

“I’m sorry?” A sheepish grin replaced her smile.

He sighed, a shake to his head. “Let’s just go back.” Her hand found his while they walked. She gave it a squeeze before letting go, breaking the treeline for the path back to civilization.


End file.
